This project was the topic of a class I taught, which explained in full detail my working methods for slab-built pieces such as the ones featured in the Drafted Vessels installation. The objective is that design and construction occur simultaneously and inform each other throughout the creative process. I emphasize sketching and small test models as a way to integrate design. I also re-visit and redraw those initial design sketches when building the finished piece. This non-linear process mimics the design/build business model in the building construction industry, where one entity is responsible for both design and construction, fully integrating both processes.

Process:
Initially, I invest time in the design of base molds, a thick-walled clay form that serves as a support for slumping clay slabs into the same shape. This shape becomes the base of sculptural forms, which can vary as more clay is added above the base.
Base molds are used to build variations of a shape. I cut out a pattern from the clay slab and drape it over the base mold, usually attaching one or two joints that are incorporated into the form. When the base has stiffened, I remove it from the mold and begin building upward or outward with slab walls. The joints give me a starting point for the forms directionality. Sometimes, I pause construction to test ideas through sketching. Each previous wall informs the next as the shape evolves throughout the building process.